COEUR d'ALENE - Kootenai County's housing construction activity is the best in years - at least 10, for those who are counting.

Demand for new homes is high as interest rates are low and credit is available. Young families are moving up to bigger homes or out of apartments, and retirees are moving into the area from other western states.

Construction was the top-performing industry in the most recent jobs report compiled by the Idaho Department of Labor, said Samuel Wolkenhauer, the agency's North Idaho labor economist.

Comparing last year to this year, construction jobs in Kootenai County shot up 16 percent - or 500 jobs, Wolkenhauer said.

"Construction is a good barometer of economic activity, and it has a very strong multiplier effect," he said Thursday.

The agency estimated a multiplier of approximately 1.5, meaning 100 new construction jobs would be associated with approximately 50 additional jobs being created in partner industries like equipment and material supply, wood products manufacturing and property services.

"Additionally, construction jobs pay around $36,000 in annual wages, which is better than the county average," Wolkenhauer said.

Nationwide, Americans are buying homes at the highest rate in eight years.

The economy nationwide has benefitted from strong jobs numbers for the past 21 months, and people have been able to save money for down payments.

Federal Reserve officials are threatening to raise a key interest rate as the economy is in its sixth year of recovery, and home buyers might also be eager to finalize sales before borrowing costs rise.

Brad Richmond, a Coeur d'Alene Realtor for Northwest Realty Group, said the level of home construction activity in Kootenai County rivals what he saw roughly 10 years ago.

He has been working with North Idaho builder Hallmark Homes on its Lake Forest West development off Ramsey Road in Coeur d'Alene. Hallmark also has developments in Post Falls called Crown Pointe and Foxtail.

"(Hallmark) is in line to do over 120 homes this year," Richmond said.

Half of those moving into Lake Forest West are coming from outside North Idaho, he said. They've arrived recently from western Washington, Colorado, Wyoming, Arizona and California. Local families moving up from smaller homes or apartments make up the other half of the new home buyers there.

Most of the new homes in Lake Forest West range in price from $300,000 to $350,000.

"We've got people who are snowbirds or getting ready to retire, and then people who are coming up with families," Richmond said.

The unincorporated areas of Kootenai County are on pace this year to top recent years in permits issued for new construction of single-family homes. Permits for commercial structures also are trending upward.

For single-family homes, the county issued 140 permits in 2012, 225 in 2013, 222 in 2014, and 161 so far this year.

That's an average of 23 per month for the first seven months this year, meaning the county is on pace to end with 276 permits issued.

For commercial structures, the county issued 20 in 2012, 14 in 2013, 27 last year, and 20 so far this year.

That means the county is on pace for 34 new commercial structure permits issued this year.

The city of Coeur d'Alene has issued 212 new construction permits for single-family homes through June, representing the first nine months of the fiscal year.

Those numbers compare with 174 permits for the first nine months of the previous fiscal year.

Permits for apartment construction exploded through the first nine months of the previous fiscal year, with 36 new construction permits issued for multi-family housing projects.

Many of those are under construction now.

"Typically, when there is a huge boom in commercial activity, the city experiences a drop in residential construction," said city spokesman Keith Erickson. "However, currently both markets are healthy."

Permits for commercial activity soared through June last year, with 62 new construction permits issued. The valuation of the projects is $10.3 million.

Through June of this fiscal year, 20 new commercial construction permits have been added.

Erickson said there are numerous residential and commercial projects in the works now that should pan out later this year or possibly early next year. That will add to the activity visible now.

Those include continued expansion of Kootenai Health, apartments and townhomes on Fruitland Lane, the second Coeur d'Alene Resort tower, and more homes and another subdivision off Seltice Way near the Bellerive development, Erickson said.

Other cities are also seeing brisk activity.

Rathdrum already has issued 73 new construction permits for single-family residences this calendar year. For all of 2014 it was 82 permits, and 68 in 2013, said Brett Boyer, Rathdrum city administrator.

"Coming out of the recession we had ready, buildable lots fueled with low interest rates," Boyer said. "The weather through the winter months has been mild allowing for good year-round construction as well."

He said the 55-and-older neighborhood called Golden Spikes has been responsible for a large amount of the new construction activity in his city.

New single-family home construction permits in Hayden have gone from 35 and 31 in 2010 and 2011, respectively, to 79 last year and 38 so far this calendar year.

Wendell Olson, president of Hayden-based Viking Construction Inc., also said this is the most activity Kootenai County has seen since the 2004-2006 boom cycle.

Interest rates remain low and credit is becoming more available for new buyers, he said. Both are feeding the current boom.

But he attributes much of the recent activity to pent up demand following the Great Recession, when the market was slow for so long.

The good news this time is it's more owner-occupy buyers, compared with 2004-2006 when it was more investors.

"This market is more stable than the other one," Olson said.